The Levels of Processing Model as an Explanation of Memory
Craik and Lockhart believe that the memory is one single unit and
cannot be broken down into short-term memory and long-term memory. The
idea is that our ability to remember depends on how deeply we process
and encode information. We process information in three different
depths, from shallow to very deep. The shallowest level of processing
involves the structural pattern of a word or number (what the word or
number looks like). As we recognise a continual pattern of what the
word sounds like, we process it more deeply. It is only when we can
give meaning to the word that we will be at the deepest level of
processing. This kind of processing leaves the most lasting memory
trace.
Craik and Lockhart's research supports the level of processing model
as they showed that words that were processed because of their
meanings were remembered far better than words that were processed
because of the way they look. They believe there are two kinds of
rehearsal - Maintenance rehearsal and Elaborative rehearsal.
Maintenance rehearsal involves the simple repetition of something,
which leads to it being processed to an intermediate level.
Elaborative rehearsal involves thinking about something and working on
it, which leads to deep processing and better recall. This means that
the most important way of remembering is to think about the thing we
want to remember.
The research of Craik and Lockhart changed the direction of memory
research. They showed that the encoding and processing of information
was not just a simple and straightforward process. Craik and Tulving's
research confirmed this theory by finding that elaborative rehearsal
was a better way of encoding and processing information than any
other. This theory has lead to hundreds of experiments, much of which
support the theory that semantic research is the best way to process
information into memory. The model also has practical applications
that work such as suggesting ways to improve our memory.
However, there are more criticisms and limitations than support for
a very good model for the time it was made and it is based on reliable
The second stage of memory processing is storage. Aronson et al. (2013) defines storage as the process by which people store the information they just acquired. Unfortunately, memories are affected by incoming information through alteration or reconstruction. This phenomenon is referred to as recon...
This essay addresses the working memory model which was proposed by Baddeley and Hitch (1974 in Smith & Kosslyn, 2007) as a response to Atkinson and Shiffrins (1968 in Smith, 2007) multi-store model. According to Baddely and Hitch the multi-store model failed to explain most of the complexities of the human memory and viewed it as being too simplistic. They argued that the short term memory store must have more components rather it being a single inflexible store as suggested previously by Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968). The working memory model is therefore an enhancement of the multi store model. According to Baddeley and Hitch working memory is a limited- capacity system that stores and processes information.
Have you ever wondered what allows us to be aware of the present? It is actually the past! Without knowledge of past information, we would be constantly confused during the present and incapable of almost everything. Hockenbury & Hockenbury (2012) describes memory to be, “…the mental processes that enable us to acquire, retain, and retrieve information”. Without the presence of either of these three processes, the other two would be obsolete. Many experiments have been conducted to better understand these processes and break them down into their basic components.
The Effects of Levels of Processing on Memory PB1: Identify the aim of the research and state the experimental/alternative hypothesis/es. (credited in the report mark scheme) To show how different levels of processing affects the memory. “People who process information deeply (i.e. semantic processing) tend to remember more than those who process information shallowly (i.e. visual processing). ” PB2: Explain why a directional or non-directional experimental/alternative hypothesis/es has been selected. (I mark) I have used a directional experimental hypothesis because past research, such as that by Craik and Tulving (1975) has proved this. PB3:
Memory is a group of related mental processes that are involved in acquiring, storing, and retrieving information (Hockenberry and Hocenberry page 232). I will be addressing two specific types of memory: short-term memory and long-term memory. Short-term memory holds temporary information transferred from sensory memory or long-term memory. Sensory memory is the first stage of memory and obtains information for a brief amount of time. Short-term memory is also called active memory and is stored in the prefrontal cortex which is the most active part of the brain during an activity. Short-term memory can hold information for roughly twenty seconds, but sensory memory holds information for a shorter amount of time. We usually store things such
Mechanical or rote repetition of the information is a great way to remember this information. The more time you spend rehearsing the information the longer the information will be remembered. This is actually a poor way of remembering things because it doesn’t make the information meaningful; “surface processing”. Elaborative Rehearsal is a more effective way of remembering information through “deep processing”, which is relating the information to information you already know. This technique is used in more in the education system than maintenance rehearsal. Even with these two ways to store things we still run into filling errors. Filling errors are where your brain has filed information incorrectly. The final step in the memory process is retrieval. Retrieval is the locating of stored information and returning it into your conscious thoughts. There are a few cues that help us retrieve them, such as priming, context, and state. Priming is the nonconscious identification or words and objects, by referring in to particular representations or associations in the memory just before carrying out the action or task. The memories that come back to your conscious mind when you are in a certain place or area are called context, dependent memories. When you are in a certain emotional state you many retrieve memories of when you were also in that same emotional
...Baddeley (1966) study of encoding in the short term memory and long term memory supports the MSM model on the mode of processing such that words are processed on recall and both models share the same opinion that processing does influence recall. Finally, the MSM model of memory states that all information is stored in the long term memory, however, this interpretation contrasts with that of Baddeley (1974) who argue that we store different types of memories and it is unlikely that they occur only in the LTM store. Additionally, other theories have recognised different types of memories that we experience, therefore it is debatable that all these different memories occur only in the long-term memory as presumed by the multi-store model which states the long term memory store as with unlimited capacity, in addition it also fails to explain how we recall information.
Human memory is flexible and prone to suggestion. “Human memory, while remarkable in many ways, does not operate like a video camera” (Walker, 2013). In fact, human memory is quite the opposite of a video camera; it can be greatly influenced and even often distorted by interactions with its surroundings (Walker, 2013). Memory is separated into three different phases. The first phase is acquisition, which is when information is first entered into memory or the perception of an event (Samaha, 2011). The next phase is retention. Retention is the process of storing information during the period of time between the event and the recollection of a piece of information from that event (Samaha, 2011). The last stage is retrieval. Retrieval is recalling stored information about an event with the purpose of making an identification of a person in that event (Samaha, 2011).
There are many misconceptions about memory that influences the strength of eye witness testimonies in court cases. Law enforcement officers, judges, and the general public believe that human memory works like a video camera so everything people remember must be true and accurate. If the person recalling the memory has high confidence in the accuracy of the memory, even if it were an adult recalling a childhood event, the memory is more likely to be believed as true. However, memory must be encoded and retrieved. During the retrieval process, there are factors that may influence the accuracy of the memory that is actually remembered. This causes problems in the legal system when an innocent person is falsely accused and punished solely on witness
McNamara, T. P. and Holbrook, J. B. 2003. Semantic Memory and Priming. Handbook of Psychology. 445–474.
Furthermore this article expands upon this subcategory of memory by describing the two types of tasks involved with it: verbal-production ta...
Atkinson, R.C. & Shiffrin, R.M. (1968). Human memory: A proposed system and its control process.
Craik and Tulving did a series of experiments on the depth of processing model. They had participants use a series of processing methods to encode words at different levels; shallow, moderate, and deep. The subjects were shown a series of words and ask questions about the words that would provide a "yes" or "no" response. At the shallow level they were asked questions about whether or not the word was written in capital letters. At the moderate level of processing, the subject was asked questions as to whether or not two words rhymed. Finally, the subjects were asked about words in sentences and whether or not they fit. This was the deep level of processing. After participants had completed the task they were then given a surprise recognition test with the words that they were just asked questions on (target words) and then words that they have never seen before (distraction words). The results of the experiment showed that people remembered the words better that were at deeper level of processing (Craik and Tulving 1975).
Fergus Craik and Robert Lockhart proposed three levels for encoding incoming information. "They suggested that whether we remember information for a few seconds or a lifetime depends on how deeply we process the information" (Internet). The first level is classified as Structural, because information is stored on visual codes. In other words, what information "looks" like or what is its physical structure.